St Swithin's
  • Welcome
  • Join Us Online
  • About Us
    • Why Jesus
      • Why Jesus
      • Alpha
      • Stories
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Visit Us
    • The Café
      • The Café
      • Renew Wellbeing
    • Venues & Facilities
      • Hire Charges
      • Specifications
      • Health & Safety
    • Get Involved
    • Financial Giving
    • Staff Team
    • Church Council
    • Safeguarding
    • Data Protection
      • Website Privacy Policy
    • Partnerships
      • The Gateway Centre
      • St Andrew's Church School
      • Local Partnerships
      • Global Partnerships
    • Our History
      • The Monuments
      • Burial Records
  • News and Events
    • News & Events
    • APCM
  • Church Life
    • God Is Here
      • Lessons in Lockdown
    • Services
      • Teaching
    • Life Events
      • Need Someone To Talk To?
      • Baptisms
      • Weddings
      • Funerals
    • Prayer
    • Worship & Creative Media
    • Life Groups
    • Students & Young Adults
    • Children
      • Children's Sunday Groups
      • Toddlers
      • Men Behaving Dadly
    • Youth
    • Care
  • Resources
    • Trust Resources
    • Vision Questionnaire
    • Talks
    • The Inspire Playlists
    • Gallery
    • Videos
    • Rotas
    • Home Group Notes
    • Forms
  • Welcome
  • Join Us Online
  • About Us
    • Why Jesus
      • Why Jesus
      • Alpha
      • Stories
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Visit Us
    • The Café
      • The Café
      • Renew Wellbeing
    • Venues & Facilities
      • Hire Charges
      • Specifications
      • Health & Safety
    • Get Involved
    • Financial Giving
    • Staff Team
    • Church Council
    • Safeguarding
    • Data Protection
      • Website Privacy Policy
    • Partnerships
      • The Gateway Centre
      • St Andrew's Church School
      • Local Partnerships
      • Global Partnerships
    • Our History
      • The Monuments
      • Burial Records
  • News and Events
    • News & Events
    • APCM
  • Church Life
    • God Is Here
      • Lessons in Lockdown
    • Services
      • Teaching
    • Life Events
      • Need Someone To Talk To?
      • Baptisms
      • Weddings
      • Funerals
    • Prayer
    • Worship & Creative Media
    • Life Groups
    • Students & Young Adults
    • Children
      • Children's Sunday Groups
      • Toddlers
      • Men Behaving Dadly
    • Youth
    • Care
  • Resources
    • Trust Resources
    • Vision Questionnaire
    • Talks
    • The Inspire Playlists
    • Gallery
    • Videos
    • Rotas
    • Home Group Notes
    • Forms
01225 789168

News & Events.

Download our latest 'Connected' here or scroll down for more.
Download

St Swithin's Update - October 2020

22/10/2020

 
Dear St Swithin’s friends,
​
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15. 56-58

This Coronavirus Season
​Since March the nation has been in this unique and challenging season of Coronavirus. As a
church we’ve sought to continue to worship and meet in our homes, on-line, in gardens and
parks, in groups, and over the last couple of months in the church building and gardens, all
the time seeking to listen to God and respond to what He is calling us to do. The church has
been doing this for 2000 years.
We believe the local church is God’s hope for the world and we believe St Swithin’s purpose
is to display God’s Splendour and join in God’s mission. Whilst in the midst of a crisis we
have felt that it’s not right to panic, hide, jump ship or get fearful but that we’re called to
learn to walk by faith in this difficult season and look for the opportunities God is providing
each one of us. At the same time we’ve tried to be wise, faithful and generous in being a
good and faithful employer to our staff, who have worked tirelessly and sacrificially on our
behalf. We’ve utilised the government Furlough Scheme to help us navigate this season
well, unsure what’s ahead, but committed to the life and work of the church.
​
This letter provides an update on the church’s Financial Position, which the PCC reviewed in
September.

Finance Overview
​We are humbled by your continued generosity and willingness to give during this season.
Our regular giving is holding up and we’re extremely grateful to God and you. We have at
this stage lost some one-off income that comes in each year, as well as the income from the
external events that would usually have taken place in the church building. This is the
material part of the current forecast gap.
​
Our costs are lower due to the building not being used as much, and as mentioned above,
we have utilised the government’s ‘Furlough Scheme’ to help reduce our staffing costs and
avoid making more radical staffing changes, so that we can continue the mission and
ministry of the church. We have not opened the café to the public and we’ve also hired the
‘Tent of Meeting’ to help a greater proportion of us to meet together in person at the same
time, which has been a joy (see Psalm 133).

We want to avoid using the legacies we have received to prop up our day to day mission and
ministry, if at all possible, so that these can be used to develop our vision and mission in the
future. With the uncertainty over the next six months this means that we are going to have
to continue to walk by faith, as the church has always been called to.

So where are we?
At present, without further action, we would be £22,000 adrift at the year-end (December)
What are the main factors contributing to this gap?
  • One-off Income shortfall - £12,000
  • Café/Events Trading shortfall - £16,000
  • Cost reductions (technology) - (£6,000)
  • Extra costs (Tent of Meeting) - £2,900
  • Government Furlough funding received - (£6,600)
  • Other - £3,700
  • Financial Gap to bridge in last few months - £22,000

What are we going to do?
In the light of these forecasts, we are asking you to consider whether you are in a position to make a one-off financial gift to help us through this season. We are asking you specifically because we think this is necessary. We would love you to consider this prayerfully, but offer whatever you can joyfully. (God loves a cheerful giver, 2 Cor 9. 6-7) We are very aware that everyone’s circumstances are different, and that there will be many within the church community who are having significant financial struggles. However, for some it may be that you’ve not spent as much this year on holidays, events etc and are in a position to give some more. If so, this would be greatly appreciated. Anything you can give makes a difference.

We will look for opportunities to reduce our costs, continue to take the opportunities to utilise the government ‘Job Support Scheme’, whilst maintaining our core ministry and mission as a church. We would like to continue to be generous to our mission partners and our local missional activities, but realise that some tough choices may also need to be made.

How can you respond?
Please pray. We have seen God’s provision in the past and we believe this is an important moment for the church too. Please get behind the leaders in the church in every area of church ministry through your time, encouragement, prayer and support. Please make a financial gift, if you are able, by completing the form overleaf and return it to the Treasurer in an envelope at the church office or send in an electronic copy marked “For the treasurer’s
attention” to office@stswithinswalcot.org.uk by Sunday 8th November.

​With our thanks for your encouragement, prayers and support,

Nicola Stuffins Acting Treasurer
Paul Brewster Warden
Becs Armstrong Warden
Rev Tim Gleghorn Rector

Downloadable Letter & Gift Form


Comments are closed.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018

    Categories

    All
    Alpha
    Art
    Cafe
    Children
    Christmas
    City Wide
    City-Wide
    Community
    Compassion
    Concerts
    Connected
    Contemplative
    Courses
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Discipleship
    Easter
    Events
    Exploring Faith
    External Groups
    Family
    Fun Club
    Gateway Centre
    General Communications
    Get Involved
    Giving
    Harvest
    Hospitality
    Justice
    Lent
    Life Groups
    Mike's Munch
    Mission
    Music
    New Here
    Oasis Women
    Partnerships
    Pastoral Care
    Prayer
    Residentials
    Resources
    Services
    Serving
    Social Action
    Space
    Staff And Leadership
    Students
    Thank Yous
    The Café
    The Café
    Vacancies
    Vision
    Vision And Values
    Waterhole Men
    Worship
    Young Adults
    Youth

    RSS Feed


Quick Links

Home
​Get Involved
​The Café
News
Talks
Give
​
Alpha

New Here?

Welcome
About Us
Visit Us
Services

Contact Us

St Swithin’s Church,
The Paragon,
Bath
BA1 5LY

01225 789168
office@stswithinswalcot.org.uk

Office hours:  Tuesday - Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm

Safeguarding

If you have safeguarding concerns, please contact our Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Judd on 01225 319704 or safeguarding@stswithinswalcot.org.uk .
You can also contact the Diocesan Safeguarding Team directly via their website.
For more information about how we handle safeguarding, please visit our Safeguarding page.

Other Stuff

Registered Charity No. 1142099
Website Privacy Policy
​
© Copyright 2018. All Rights Reserved.
Picture
  • Welcome
  • Join Us Online
  • About Us
    • Why Jesus
      • Why Jesus
      • Alpha
      • Stories
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Visit Us
    • The Café
      • The Café
      • Renew Wellbeing
    • Venues & Facilities
      • Hire Charges
      • Specifications
      • Health & Safety
    • Get Involved
    • Financial Giving
    • Staff Team
    • Church Council
    • Safeguarding
    • Data Protection
      • Website Privacy Policy
    • Partnerships
      • The Gateway Centre
      • St Andrew's Church School
      • Local Partnerships
      • Global Partnerships
    • Our History
      • The Monuments
      • Burial Records
  • News and Events
    • News & Events
    • APCM
  • Church Life
    • God Is Here
      • Lessons in Lockdown
    • Services
      • Teaching
    • Life Events
      • Need Someone To Talk To?
      • Baptisms
      • Weddings
      • Funerals
    • Prayer
    • Worship & Creative Media
    • Life Groups
    • Students & Young Adults
    • Children
      • Children's Sunday Groups
      • Toddlers
      • Men Behaving Dadly
    • Youth
    • Care
  • Resources
    • Trust Resources
    • Vision Questionnaire
    • Talks
    • The Inspire Playlists
    • Gallery
    • Videos
    • Rotas
    • Home Group Notes
    • Forms